Amador County – The Amador Sheriff's deputies and Ione Police collaborated recently to catch a suspect in the act of burglarizing Fred’s Mini Storage in Ione, and the suspect was implicated in multiple regional burglaries.

According to a sheriff’s office release, at about 3 a.m. on May 4, an Ione Police Officer responding to assist an Amador County Sheriff’s Deputy with a traffic detention on Highway 88 observed a vehicle stopped near Fred’s Mini Storage at 7300 Martin Lane in Ione. The vehicle, a tan 1997 Ford Probe, matched the description of a vehicle wanted by Sheriff’s Detectives as possibly involved in a previous burglary at the business.

The Ione officer notified the Deputy of his observation and then made contact with the vehicle’s two occupants. The deputy sheriff arrived seconds later as a third subject was observed fleeing through the mini storage. Nearby, a section of fence had been cut, and miscellaneous property from one of the storage lockers was strewn about the area.

Upon arrival of a Sheriff’s sergeant, a search of the premise was conducted utilizing the Ione Police K9 patrol officer. Dwayne Allen Hickingbottom, 49, of Stockton was subsequently found hiding in the nearby brush. The Sergeant found Hickingbottom in possession of two baggies of suspected methamphetamine and burglary tools.

A search of Hickingbottom’s vehicle revealed additional burglary tools and drug use paraphernalia. A California Highway Patrol Officer and a Sutter Creek Police Officer also assisted at the scene.

Hickingbottom was arrested and charged with burglary and possession of a controlled substance, burglary tools and drug paraphernalia. Hickingbottom was also determined to be wanted on four separate San Joaquin County Superior Court felony arrest warrants for burglary, possession of a controlled substance and receiving stolen property.

On May 5, 2011 Amador County Sheriff’s Detectives, who have been working on the burglaries which have occurred at the mini storage, conducted searches of multiple residences in both San Joaquin and Sacramento County. Through the supplemental investigation it was determined that Hickingbottom is responsible for multiple burglaries within the region.

Detectives determined Hickingbottom paid associates $30 to transport him to his crime locations and then return a short period later to pick him up with whatever stolen property he had obtained. Based on additional investigation, Amador County Sheriff’s Detectives conducted another search of Hickingbottom’s vehicle and located previously unreported stolen property.

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